Snowbound - Harlequin.com

122 SNOWBOUND
water up to her neck, Fiona peered around. “I can see
how skiers fall and smother.”
“Yeah, not a good way to go.”
She shuddered.
He picked up a handful of snow and tossed it into the
air. “Lighter than usual for around here, though,” he
commented. “It’s damn cold.” Western Oregon wasn’t
known for powder snow; whatever fell was usually wet
and therefore heavy. Operators at Timberline and
Mount Hood Meadows must be rejoicing today.
“Yes, it is.” Fiona flailed her arms in front of her.
“Um…how do I walk?”
“You just shove forward. Or follow me.” He stepped
into the well her body had created, then bulldozed his way
forward toward the kids and the still-hidden porch steps.
By feel he located the steps and climbed to the porch,
where he collected the two snow shovels.
“Who wants first turn?” he called.
“Bummer,” somebody complained.
“You’re going to get cold and want to go in.”
“I’ll go first,” Erin offered. “My feet are already
getting cold.”
She was one of the girls without boots, he remembered.
“Me, too,” said Tabitha. Or was it Kelli?
They groped their way up the steps, too, and he
showed them how to wield the broad, flat-bladed shovels.
They cleared a few steps while the others romped. He
kept an eye on the two wielding the shovels, and when
they started struggling, he had them hand off to two of
the other girls. Meantime, he called the boys over.